Rain and Choices
by Lithium Amaranth
Summary: Drabble. After defeating the Kishiim in Koryo, the two make their way to meet up with Syaoran and Mokona. Continuing with their usual banter, they end up learning something new about each other. Kurogane hates the rain and Fai doesn't believe in choice.


**This is kind of a little drabble. I was re-reading the third book of Tsubasa and this scenario came to mind ^^ Just something that I think might have occurred after Kurogane and Fai defeated the Kishiim. I hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>"You're quite the little tactician, aren't you?" the Kishiim sneered in Kurogane's ear. She drew out her long, hard nails from his clothes to reveal the Mangayan comic that Kurogane had been carrying with him since Hanshin. Fai chuckled off to the side. He never would have taken Kurogane as the type to read picture novels with cute girls on the cover. Kurogane smirked at the enchantress.<p>

"I just don't like the rain. And so…turn it off!" he bellowed as he swung the worn steel rod at the Kishiim's head, cracking the jewel placed in the inset.

Fai watched in mild relief as the world of acid and rock they had just been in faded away into the plain walls of the castle they had seen before. The Kishiim stumbled at the impact and collided with the floor.

"Hyuu! No need to be so harsh Kuro-pon! Looks like you really do hate the rain!" he smiled. Kurogane cast him a glare.

"Shut up idiot! She was going to kill us!" he shouted. Fai simply tilted his head and grinned. Kurogane turned back to the Kishiim, a harsh look in his eye.

"If you try any more of your weird tricks…" he warned. He never finished his sentence. The Kishiim gracefully lifted herself from the ground and cupped her hands around Kurogane's face. Just as gracefully, she drew her lips to his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. Confused, Kurogane just gritted his teeth.

"What kind of magic are you trying on me now!" he growled. The Kishiim only smiled.

"That was a thank you." she said.

Fai chuckled lightly. Of all things that Kurogane could have said, the first thing out of his mouth is an accusation of trickery. He really doesn't take well to people does he? After the Kishiim revealed to them the truth of the gem that Kurogane had broken and the whereabouts of the evil lord, she vanished. Fai turned to Kurogane and smiled.

"Is that the first thing you say to all women who kiss you?" he teased. Kurogane glared at the man.

"Shut up." he retorted. Fai laughed.

"Kuro-sama you heartbreaker! The woman was only trying to give you her thanks!" he jeered. Kurogane scoffed at him as he made his way back to the corridor.

"I don't need her thanks. She almost killed us remember?" he said. Fai nodded along.

"True but that wasn't her fault Kuro-tan. She was being controlled." he said. Kurogane turned sharply down the corridor towards where Syaoran and Mokona were. He sped up, becoming more and more annoyed with the mage's tone.

"Then she shouldn't have been weak enough to be controlled." he stated. Fai paused.

"But it was the power of the princess's feather that was controlling her. That's powerful magic Kuro-tan." he said, a bit less cheeriness in his voice. Kurogane eyed him.

"You're defending her? She was going to kill us!" he shouted. Fai merely shrugged.

"Those weren't her motives though. It was the man who controls the feather. Sakura-chan's feathers are incredibly powerful Kuro-tan. I can't expect you to understand." Fai said blatantly. Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"And you do? If you can sense the feathers too then where was your 'intuition'* when we were looking for the damn thing in the last world?" he asked. Fai smiled, not saying anything.

"One who's manipulated…is it really their fault? Are the crimes they commit inexcusable even if they wouldn't do it if they had a choice?" Fai murmured, seemingly absent-minded. Kurogane noted the change in tone but didn't care enough to recognize it. He simply spoke what he believed to be true.

"There's always a choice. Even the choice to believe that there is no choice." he said bitterly. Fai almost stopped in his tracks. Kurogane refused to acknowledge this as well. He kept walking down the corridor to the center of the temple, where the lord was. Kurogane heard Fai's footsteps pick up slightly as he jogged up next to him, smiling and grinning like an idiot.

"Is Kuro-sama afraid of the rain?" he asked. Kurogane nearly stopped in HIS tracks. He stared at the mage, insulted and appalled.

"Don't insult me! I'm no coward! What the hell made you think that!" he exclaimed. Fai walked beside him, folding his arms behind his head.

"You told Kishiim-san that you hate the rain. I just figured it's because you're afraid of it." he shrugged. Kurogane scoffed.

"Fears are useless to a warrior. I hate rain because I hate it. That's all." he said sternly. Fai nodded. They continued on in quiet for a short while before coming to a large open door. Both men were surprised to see Syaoran, beaten and bleeding, all of the townspeople, Sakura, and Chun Hyang wielding a mirror of sorts. Fai smiled upon entry.

"What's this? It seems pretty crowded in here." he said as he and Kurogane leaned against the door frame. Mokona bounded up to both of them and aimed a shot at Kurogane's head.

"You're both late!" it scolded. Fai stifled a chuckle at Kurogane's complaint to the white creature.

"It seems that quite a bit has gone on here. Sorry." Fai apologized.

As Fai watched Sakura absorb her feather and gain a bit more of her memory, he reflected on what Kurogane had said before.

There is always a choice.

He watched as the townspeople, Chun Hyang, Syaoran and Kurogane all retreated from the castle. Even Kurogane was swept with the crowd, suffering whine after whine from Mokona about being late. Clenching a fist at his side, he chuckled bitterly to himself.

"You're wrong Kuro-sama. Sometimes…you really don't have a choice."

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><p><strong>Hmm...I feel like this could go further, turn it into more than just a drabble. I might. I have a few ideas, but for now I'll just post this and see the feedback I get. Well I do have other fics I need to get going on so we'll see how it turns out.<strong>

***This, if you don't remember, refers to when Fai sensed the Kishiim behind the wall in the first place and Kurogane accused him of using magic. Fai argued that it wasn't magic but more like intuition. I'm sure most people will remember but I'll put this here just in case ^^**

**Please let me know what you thought! Reviews inspire me to finish stories! ^^'**


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